Burner for drying printing ink



F 1941- J. a. BURDETT mm. 0,

BURNER "FOR DRYING PRINTING INK Filed 0013. l, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet} LamFeb. 4, 1941. .1. a. BURDETT a'rAL BURNER DRYiNG PRINTING INK Irma our.1, 19:8

2 Shuts-Shoot 2 Patented Feb. 4,1941

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,230,826 BURNER. FOR. name. ramrmc INK JohnB. Burdett, Highland Park, and William H. Bureau and Thaddeus P. Tesmer,Chicago, 111., assignors to Burdett Manufacturing Company, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 1, 1938, Serial No.232,760

5 Claims.

This invention relates to ink drying mechanism for printing presses, andmore particularly to mechanism whereby the fresh, moist ink on printedpaper, and the like, may be dried or hardened immediately as it leavesthe press.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved type of dryingburner for accelerating the rate of drying of ink on printed paperwhereby the paper may shortly thereafter again berun through the pressfor printing on the reverse side thereof. This process is commonlycalled backink and more quickly to set the resinous ingredients.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved type of!burner for printing presses having means to adjust the flame areawithout requiring the burner or parts thereof to be dismantled and newparts substituted.

A still further object of the invention is to provide simple andinexpensive control apparatus, in connection with the aforesaid improvedtype of burner, that will provide a low pressure flame whereby aircompressors and like expensive equipment heretofore required in thistype of burner may be eliminated. It is believed that the presentinvention is the first to suggest the use of control apparatus that willpermit employing a low pressure burner in connection with the dryingoperation of printing presses.

A still further object of the invention is to provide ignition means ofthe type and character for said burner that will cause operation of theburner preferably on the return travel of the burner across the printedsheets and that will maintain an adequate supply of combustible mixturebetween the burner jets and mixing chamber to assure immediate ignitionas the burner starts its return stroke and to continue supplying thismixture to the burner so that at the end of the return stroke anothersupply will be stored at the same point for the next operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be notedfrom thefollowing detailed specification in connection .with the accompanyingdrawings which form a part hereof.

. 111 the drawings:

Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of one embodiment of theinvention and illustrates generally the gas and air connections andcontrol valves therefor;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the burner and one of theadjustable pistons therein;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partially in section, showing the burnerand adjustable pistons;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the burner andillustrates one embodiment of the piston control mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a diagram of an electrical circuit control whereby theperiodic flow of gas and air is effected.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the embodiment illustratedcomprises a gas main I having the usual shutoff cock 2 and anelectrically operated valve 3 which may be of the solenoid type. vThegas main i communicates with a gas and air mixing chamber 4. Thischamber is provided with a supply of air by means of a constantly drivencentrifugal fan 5 which forces a continuous supply of air under pressurethrough the short pipe 6 and a solenoid valve 1 into the mixing chamber4. In addition to the automatic onand-off control of the gas and airflow accomplished by means of the solenoid valves 3 and 1, suitablemanually controlled valves, such as butterfly valves 8 and 9, areprovided whereby proportionate gas and air flow to the mixing chamlet isautomatically controlled by an electrically operated valve l3. Burner i2is provided with a central funnel-shaped body portion 43 forming anintegral part thereof, the inlet for the mixed gas and air being at theapex thereof.

This burner may be of any suitable length to accommodate the widestsheet of printed matter which the press will deliver. The width of flameemployed may vary, however, so as to match the width of narrower stockand not extend beyond the edges thereof. The housing of this burner maybe rectangular in cross. section and may be provided in its bottom facewith a plurality of openings l4 through which the gas is forced in smalljets. When the gas is ignited the flame impinges upon the entire uppersurface of the freshly printed paper I5, which passes thereunder and inimmediate proximity thereto in a manner shortly to be described indetail.

To control the flame in accordance with the width of paper used, the engated burner I2 is provided with a pair of sliding pistons I6 and I1,which, in the embodiment illustrated,

during adjustment. If, however, it is desired to employ a round burner,these pistons may be secured from rotation by any suitable means, suchas keys, guides, or the like.

The pistons Hiiand. H are controlled by means of elongated rods orscrews l8 and I9, respectively, threaded therethrough. By rotation ofthese screws, the pistons may be moved longitudinally of the elongatedburner l2 in a direction depending upon the direction of rotation of thescrews. I

The pistons l6 and I! may be provided with suitable packing, such as thepacking 20 and 21 positioned in a suitable recess in each of the pistonsand encompassing the periphery thereof moreeffectively to keep gas fromleaking beyond the pistons.

The screws l8 and I9 may be provided with collars 22 and 23,respectively,-which are pinned to the shaft of said screws so as torotate therewith. The screws also have suitable handles 24 and 25 bymeans of which the shafts may independently be rotated in the same oroppo-' site directions to cause their respective pistons to approachtoward or retreat from the center of the burner and thereby vary thewidth of the flame from the burner.

' The piston screws are supported in suitable bearings at the ends ofthe burner. These bearings may form stufliing boxes 26 and 21, and thescrews are preferably of sufiicient length so that I their inner endsengage in the middle of the burner. To insure that the ends remain inalignment and do not slip by one another at any time, one of the screws,such as the screw l8, may be provided with a tapered end 28, while theother screw may be provided with a complemental, conical depression 29.It is obvious that without these ends bearing togetherthe screws whenturned to move the pistons outwardly would, instead of moving thepistons, cause the shaft rotated to move inwardly until the operatinghandle engaged the end of the burner. Though a collar similar to thecollars 22 and 23 could be mounted on the shafts outside of the bearings26 and 21, or the hub of the handles 24 and 25 could be secured closelyadjacent the outside of said bearings, it is preferred to have the endportions 28 and 29 engaged so as to keep said screws in place and insurea proper axial alignment at all times.....In addition, this makesunnecessary the removal of an outside collar whenever it is desired toremove the pistons or piston screws from the burner.

By independently adjusting the pistons IF and II, it is possible todirect the flame to any portion of the burner and thereby fully coverprinted matter which is not being delivered from the 60- press incentral alignment therewith. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the piston 16may. be positioned close to the center of the burner while the piston I1is positioned near the end thereof. With this arrangement only theprinted matter 15 would be subjected to the blast of the hot flamedespite the fact that it is not centered with respect to the center ofthe burner.

The shafts l8 andis are preferably oppositely threaded so that ifdesired, they may be securely fastened together at their ends or madeintegral so as to rotate together whereby both pistons will at all timesbe spaced an equal distance from the center of the machine.

The burner may be attached to, the delivery 75 end of the usual printingpress by means of suitkept from bodily'rotation within the burner l2able brackets 30 and 3|, secured to the usual reciprocating mechanism,which latter moves counter to. the direction of movement of the printedpaper as it issues from the press. As previously indicated, this burneris mounted so as to closely approach the printed matter as it issuesfrom the press and the flame from the burner closely impinges upon thefreshly printed surface. By the use of the previously mentionedreciprocating movement, which is common to printing presses whether ofthe rotary or cylinder type, the burner, fixed thereto by means of thesupports 30 and 3| or other suitable supports, is rapidly moved bacrward and forward over the surfaceof the paper as the paper extrudes.That is, as the paper moves forwardly the burner moves rearwardlythereover.

The solenoid valves 3, I, and 13 may be simultaneously controlled asfollows: an electrical circuit of the character illustrated in Fig. 5may be employed, wherein current from a power line A may intermittentlyenergize a relay 32 through conductors 33, one of which is provided withan interrupter switch 42 which may be intermittently operated by meansof a cam 34 which is preferably of the well-known split type and may beadjusted to permit variation in the length of time that the relay isenergized; The cam 34 may be secured to any suitable operating portionof the press, such as the shaft 35, and adapted to close the interrupterswitch 42 as the burner I2 is moved backward over the surface of theprinted stock. When energized, the relay 32 operates to close twocircuits, one of which involves line B, which is preferably directcurrent for energizing the circuit comprising conductors 36. Solenoids.3, I and I3 are in parallel in this circuit. Thus, upon operation of therelay 32, the circuitiof line B is closed so as to stmultaneouslyenergize all of the solenoid valves 3, I and I3 whereby the valves areopened to permit the passage of gas, air, and mixture, respectively,

feed, so that at the time the burner l2 starts to pass rearwardly overthe paper the circuit 33 is closed, thereby energizing the relay so thatthe two secondary circuits are closed, circuit B serving to energize thesolenoids 3, I, and I3, whereby a readily combustible mixture isdelivered to the elongated burner l2, and circuit C serving to energizethe spark coil 38, whereby a high tension spark is delivered to thespark gap ignition device 40. By the simultaneous operation of the threesolenoid valves illustrated, it becomes impossible for there to ,be anytime lag between the cessation of current and the stop e of the gasflow, and, likewise by this arrangement, any tendency of the gaspressure to build up in the conduit Ill so as to force its way backthrough the centrifugal air fan 5 is avoided.

a The use of this method of controlling the flow of the gas to theburner at relatively low pressure eliminates the necessity for expensiveand cumbersome equipment such as the air reserve tank and compressorotherwise necessary when therethrough. Relay 32 likewise simultaneouslyair at high pressure is used. With this control, an inexpensivecentrifugal fan of suitable capacity may be employed to supply necessaryair. Without the simultaneous operation of the air, gas, and mixturevalves, the gas could escape back through the air inlet of thecentrifugal fan -as soon as delivery of the mixture to the burner wasinterrupted and thereby constitute a grave fire and explosion hazard.

This invention, therefore, eifectively eliminates the possibility ofsuch gas escaping and, in .addition, assures that a constant supply of areadily ignitable mixture will be present at the burner at all times andcapable of substantially instantaneous application at full workingcapacity v to the burner proper.

In operation, the burner I2 is mounted upon the delivery mechanism ofthe printing press so as to reciprocate over and close to the surface ofthe freshly inked paper as it issues from the press, and the split cam34 is mounted upon the delivery mechanism drive and synchronizedtherewith so as to close circuit A when the burner starts to passrearwardly over the paper as it issues from the press. a

The handles 24 and 25 are thenfadjusted so that the flame issuing fromthe burner will cover only the width of the paper being printed.

The press is then started and as each sheet issues therefrom, thecircuits A, B, and C are closed so as to operate solenoid valves, 3, 4,and I3 to permit the flow of the inflammable mixture to the burner. Atthis time the spark gap 40 is also ignite the gas as it leaves thenozzle l2.

The ignited burner then passes rapidly over the freshly printed surfaceas it is delivered from the press, the high temperature developedserving to evaporate the ink vehicle and set the resins. As the burnerreaches the end of the stroke, the circuit A with its relay and alsocircults B and C are broken so that the solenoid valves are closed,stopping the now of inflammable gas to the burner and extinguishing theflame during the return stroke. This cycle is repeated for eachsuccessive sheet as it is deliveredfrom the press.

It will be understood that if desired, the three valves illustrated maybe enclosed in one housing. Also, that instead of completelyextinguishing the flow of gas from the burners, the valves may be soconstructed as to simply reduce the flow .of fuel thereto, thuseliminating the ignition means.

Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limitedscope of the appended claims.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will "supply, a mixingchamber for said gas and said others may, by applying current knowledge,readily adopt the same for use under varying conditions of service,without eliminating certain features, which may properly by said toconstitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items areintended to be defined and secured to us by the following claims. a

-. We claim:

1. The combination with a gas supply, an air air, a burner, and adelivery connection between said chamber and said burner, of controlmeans for each of said supplies and at the end of said deliveryconnection adapted to control the flow through the delivery connection.

therefrom, and electric relay means regulating the operation of'saidcontrol means and simultaneously controlling said supplies and the flowthrough said delivery connection from said mixing chamber in accordancewith predetermined flow demands.

2. The combination with a gas supply, an air supply, a mixing chamberfor said gas and said air, a reciprocating burner, and a deliveryconnection between said chamber and said burner, of control means oneach of said supplies and at the end of said delivery connectionadjacent said burner, said control means adapted to simultaneouslycontrol the flow from said supplies and said deliveryconnection,'electric relay means regulating the operation of saidcontrol means in accordance with predetermined flow demands, andautomatic ignition means operating to ignite said mixture each time itis permitted to pass 3. The combination with a gas supply, an airsupply, a mixing chamber for said gas and said air, areciprocatingburner, and a delivery connection between said chamber andsaid burner, of control means oneach of said supplies and at the end ofsaid delivery connection adjacent said burner adapted. to simultaneouslycontrol the flow therefrom, electric relay means regulating theoperation of said control means in accordance with predetermined flowdemands, and automatic ignition means synchronized with said flowcontrol means andoperatlng toignite said mixture each. time itispermitted to pass through the delivery connection. 1

4. The combination with a gas supply, an air supply, a mixing chamberwhere said gas and said air are intermingled, a reciprocating burner anda delivery connection between said chamber and said burner, of controlmeans on each of said 40 supplies and at the end of said deliveryconnection adjacent said burner adapted to simultaneously operatewhereby to control the flow from said supplies and said deliveryconnection, electrlc relay means regulating the operation of saidcontrol means in accordance with predetermined flow demands, andautomatic ignition means synchronized with said flow control means andoperatedby said electric relay to ignite said mixture each time it ispermitted to pass through the delivery connection.

5. A burner having a heat, emitting surface mounted forrectilinearreciprocating movement, a source of fuel supp y. ignitionmeans therefor, means for effecting operation of said ignition means toignite the fuel supplied to said burner as it moves in one direction,said fuel supply comprising-a gas supply, an air supply, a mixingchamber therefor, a connection leading to said burner from said mixingchamber, electrically actuated valve means for said gas and air suppliesto control the, flow of each to said mixing chamber, a separate valvemeans at said burner to control the flow of the mixture to said burnerthrough said connection, said valve means confining a charge of mixturein said connection for immediate use at said burner when'said ignitionmeans is operated, and means to actuate said valve means to release saidcharge to said burner and to supply additional gas and air to saidmixing chamber whensaid ignition means is operated. i

' JOHN B. BURDE'I'I. wnnmm n. BUREAU. rmmnaos P.- metres.

